“Ow.” He rubbed his chest. “I’m really sure.”
“I don’t believe you. Spit it out, Z.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m in enough trouble.”
I whirled on Cooper. “You better be glad we’re in a police station. That is the only thing saving you.”
Cooper’s lips twitched.
“Ugh. Both of you are making me nuts.” I stalked to the door and out into the bright sunlight, right into the waiting chaos of a half-dozen paparazzi.
“Was it true your bandmate wrapped a Lamborghini around a tree?”
“Was there someone in the car with him?”
“Will there be criminal charges?”
I fisted my hands and backed away from the bold asshole with a camera directly in my face. I tried to dodge him, but he moved with me until we were in a macabre dance of wills.
Suddenly, there was an arm around my waist. I immediately flailed.
“It’s just me,” Cooper said against my ear as he literally parted the crowd and carted me through like a pocket pal. “My Jeep is around the back in the alleyway. If you’d waited for us, I could have told you that.”
“Put me down.”
“No.”
“Cooper, there are paparazzi everywhere.”
“Quicker and easier. Besides, I like my hands on you.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t right now.”
He was unbelievable. And not in a good way.
“C’mon, babe.”
I dug my nails into his forearm. “Don’t ‘babe’ me. You’re not being cute.”
He grunted, but he didn’t loosen his grip. “Save the claws for later.”
“Oh you’ll get the claws later, but not the fun kind, Cooper Dallas.”
“Say it a little louder, don’t think all the paps heard you. Or are you okay with everyone knowing what I did to you last night?” His lips grazed my ear. “I don’t mind telling them.”
“You wouldn’t.”
His long stride lost most of the photo seekers in the foot traffic. Since this little adventure had taken all day, it was time for people to get out of work. He put me down when we got to the corner and snagged my hand.
“Where’s Zane?” I swung my head around to see if anyone was still behind us.
“We saw you get stopped. Cops let him go out the back. I figured I’d save you.”
I tried to wiggle my hand out of his, but his grip was ridiculous. Last night, I’d enjoyed it. Okay, this morning, I’d liked it even more, but that was not the point. I didn’t need a white knight, dammit. “I don’t need saving.”
“Yeah, but I like saving you.” He dragged me down the alleyway and trapped me against a brick wall in the shadows. He crowded into me, his chest pressing into mine, and all the while, he cupped the back of my head so I wouldn’t get scratched by the rough wall.
The beat of my heart thundered in my ears. Or maybe it was his. It was as if we were one when we were this close.
I wanted to melt into him. It would be so easy to let him take over.
“I think we lost them.” His gaze dropped to my mouth before he grinned, a rare dimple denting his cheek. “You’re really not good at following directions. Maybe you need a little punishment.”
My nipples immediately zinged in reaction.
Cooper’s eyes went hot, and he slid up his hand to cup me, his thumb rolling over the tight tip. “Like that idea?”
“That is simply my body reacting to stimulus. I’m still mad at you.”
His dimple deepened.
I resisted the urge to kick him—barely.
He lowered his mouth to brush mine. “Make-up sex is fine.”
I put my hand on his chest. “We haven’t made up yet.”
He nipped my lower lip. “We will.” He caught my nipple between his knuckles and tugged. “I want this in my mouth. When you do that back arch thing and grip my hair, holding me closer? Yeah, I want that again.”
I shivered and the night before flashed in my head. All the things he’d done to me—that we’d done to one another. After the first time, gentleness hadn’t been on the menu, and I was more than okay with that.
But he was still keeping something from me, and my hormones were not going to be used against me, thank you very much.
“I can be turned on and pissed off.” I shoved him back. “Did I give you any reason not to trust me?”
His eyebrows snapped down over his dark eyes. “I trust you.”
“Oh, yeah, then why weren’t you going to tell me what’s up with Zane?”
He glanced down the alley then back at me. “Can we talk about this where there isn’t a shit-ton of paparazzi waiting for a soundbite or a picture?” He slid his fingers along the hem of my shirt and across my belly. “We’re in enough trouble, I think. And I really don’t want to have to deck some guy this close to the police station.”
“You can’t deck every dude who comes around me.”
“Oh, I can.”
“And more not trusting me to handle myself.” I shoved him again. This time, I made enough space to duck under his arm and walk away.
He sighed and followed me. “The car’s down that way.”
I crossed my arms and inched away when he tried to put his hand on my lower back.
“Come on, Teagan. It’s not that I don’t trust you.”
“If you say ‘I don’t trust the other guy’, I’m going to give you a bloody nose.”
“I like this new feisty side of you. Is this what I have to look forward to?”
“Me murdering you in your sleep because you drive me crazy?”
“Handily, the Army taught me how to get by with little sleep.”
I growled and walked faster when I spotted his Charger.
“Dammit, T.”
I ignored him. It was either that or I was going to sweep his feet out from under him and leave him on the piss-scented blacktop. And since I had to be in the car with him, that wouldn’t work for me.
Zane was sitting on the trunk in a yoga cross-legged pose, his eyes closed.
Damn man could meditate anywhere. I wished I had an ounce of his chill.
